Joe McNeill admits Crumlin Star’s first league defeat of the season was a “reality check” after they hit back in a top-of-the-table win over East Belfast on Saturday.

The midfielder was on target for the hosts at The Cliff, taking his tally for the season to an impressive 16 from the middle of the park, while his brother Aidan and skipper Barry McKervey also found the net as Star recorded an eighth league victory in 10 outings.

Their dominant performance was the perfect response after the previously unbeaten Ardoyne outfit were on the wrong end of a 6-3 thrashing at the hands of Rathfriland who, just seven days on from a 4-0 drubbing of Immaculata, left no one in any doubt about their own title credentials.

McNeill agrees the Whites pose the biggest threat to Star’s defence of their top flight crown – but reckons the defeat could be a blessing in disguise for the defending champions as it helps focus minds.

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“It’s a reality check for us, that it’s not going to be a walk in the park.

“No Premier Division title in the Amateur League is ever going to be a walk in the park.

“Last week against Rathfriland, we made five individual defensive errors and they scored five goals from them and defence is usually our strong point.

“So we were out of sorts, but we still showed great character to get back in the game.

“We were 3-0 down, and brought it back to 3-2.

“Then we let them score another one, but brought it back to 4-3, and pushing for the fourth goal they hit us with a couple of sucker punches.

Crumlin Star manager Paul Trainor

“But we’ll make no excuses, Rathfriland are a very strong team, a lot stronger than they were last year and if we are going to retain our title we are going to have to be at our best.

“They are a good side, they are well-drilled, well-organised, well-coached and they know a system which works for them.

“Their two centre midfielders don’t move, they just hold their position, their full backs don’t get forward, they just keep their shape and they just let their front four do what they do. It’s a system which is working for them at the minute, until someone finds a way of stopping it.”